1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to security shades and more particularly relates to a security shade for use in an automotive vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
Security shades have been known for many years in the art. Some of the many styles of motor vehicles do not provide covered areas for storing cargo or other personal items. In these vehicles any articles in the cargo area could be easily viewed from the exterior of the vehicle. To hide these articles from view motor vehicle manufactures typically provide a flexible security shade or panel that can be extended to cover the cargo area and prevent anyone outside the vehicle from readily viewing any stored articles.
Many prior art security shades generally include a flexible fabric panel, which is wrapped onto a roller tube and mounted to a support structure on the vehicle. The roller tube is rotationally biased so that the panel can be extended to cover the compartment area and retracted onto the roller tube for storage when not in use. The end of the shade panel is normally provided with a pull tube or stiffener having a handle that enables the panel to be conveniently extended. The pull tube also includes clips or tabs which engage brackets mounted to the vehicle sidewalls in the cargo area and maintain the panel in its extended position. Many of these prior art security shades are mounted in vehicles such that the roller tube is positioned across one end of the cargo area with the shade panel being extendable rearward toward a vehicles rear cargo door. The security shade is positioned behind a rear seat back which can be folded down to enlarge the cargo area of the vehicle. When the cargo area is enlarged the security shade may be removed to prevent it from obstructing and reducing cargo area. For this and many other reasons, security shades often feature a mounting system which allows them to be removed from and reinstalled into the vehicle. Therefore, the end units and roller tubes for security shades include many components which increase the cost and complexity along with the weight of the overall security shade unit. Many of the prior art security shades require many components to assemble the removable mounting portion of the security shade and rotational biasing components for the roller tube. Generally, this type of assembly requires many hours of individual labor and requires many different components that are adaptable to different vehicle applications including vehicle models, vehicle widths, or orientation of the security shade within the automotive interior.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved security shade for use in an automotive vehicle. There is also a need in the art for a security shade that reduces the weight by reducing metal content while still providing appropriate robustness and durability while extending the cover and retracting the cover onto the roller tube for storage. Furthermore, there is a need in the art for an improved security shade that incorporates a silicone cord into the security shade to reduce the weight of the security shade for easy handling by the automotive customer and improved efficiency of the vehicle for the manufacturer. There is also a need in the art for a security shade that has increased durability and has a retraction system that is easy to assemble and install within the roller tube and within the vehicle interior.